Positively and progressively acting speed varying device



April 22, 1941 l. BEscHKlNE 2,239,313

YOSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELY ACTING SPEED VARYING DEVICE F'iled Aug. 2a,19:59

10 Sheets-Sheet 1 i. Evi. Il.)

54154!! infill! llllz ILV.

April 22, 1941. l.. BEscHKlNE POSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELY ACTING- SPEEDVARYING DEVICE '1o sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1939 April 22, 1941. L.BEscHKlNE 2,239,313

LY ACTING SIEED VARYING DEVICE POSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVE Filed Aug. 29,1959 l0 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 22, 1941.

L. BESCHKINE POSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELY ACTING SPEED VARYING DEVICEFiled Aug. 29, 1939 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG V r J2 a2 la 3 a3 1 i2 I v 232e 25 2a a4 a4 l 44 45 V2 47 a'z .1'2 .z'a I' I o1/Mu.' J/II/fh April22, 1941 L. BEscHKlNE 2,239,313

IOSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELY ACTING SPEED VARYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29,1939 10 Sh6e'b-S-Sheet 5 FIG.5

April 22, 1941. L BEscHKlNE PQSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELY ACTING SPEEDVARYING DEVICE 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 29, 1959 bw L ma: u

ARYING DEVICE Pll 22, 1941- L BEscHKlNE YOSITIVELY AND PROGRESSIVELYACTING SPEED V Filed Aug. 29r 1939 10 Sheets-Sheet '7 APYZZ 1941- LBl-:scHKlNE 2,239,313

YOSITIVELY AND RROGRESSIVELY ACTIHG SPEED VARYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29,1939 10 Sheets-Sheet April 22, 1941. l. BEscHKlNE 2,239,313

YOSITIVELY AND PROGRESSVELY ACTING SYEED VARYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29,1939 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 FIG.

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Patented Apr. 22, 1941 POSITIVELY AND PROGBESSIVELY ACTING SPEED VARYINGDEVICE Leon Beschkine, Paris,`'Fra.'nce

Application In 4 Claims.

The speed varying device which is the object of the invention isessentially characterized by the use of gears which have contourswhereof the points are at variable distance from their respective axesof rotation, in order to enable variable speed ratios to be obtained andthe shape of which has been so chosen as to provide the continuousintermeshing of said gears, by means of appropriate teeth; since thegears always remain in engagement, it is not necessary to providesynehromesh" devices as in gearboxes provided with sliding gears.

Furthermore, the aforesaid gears, which are respectively fixed on thedriving shaft or on the driven shaft, are successively secured to theshaft which carries them, either directly or through the intermediary ofother appropriate gears, during equal intervals of time that arefractions of the duration of a complete revolution, by an appropriateclutch device, in such a manner as only to transmit the power one afterthe other along driving arcs which involve equal angles and the lengthor the shape of which is such that the ratio of the speeds does notsubstantially or strictly vary from one end to the other of said arcs,the gears not transmitting the power outside the aforesaid intervals oftime.

When intermediate ygears are used, the leading arcs are driving anddriven gears, preferably spiral arcs defined by the constancy of theproduct of their lvector radius by their polar angle, so that the ratioof the speeds between the driving gear and the driven gear is absolutelyconstant for a given value of the angle of relative displacement of saidintermediatel gears with respect to each other.

The setting of the various driving or driven gears is suchthat theirsuccessive securing to the driving shaft orito the driven shaft isalways effected at instants at which the speeds are equal whatever bethe speed of rotation, so as to prevent any shock on the teeth and anywear of the clutch devices used, at the instant when a gear becomesdisengaged and the next one transmits the power.

The change of speed is obtained either by modifying the relative settingof a group of gears mounted on one of the driving or driven shaftsrelatively to another group of gears fixed on the same shaft andsymmetrical with the first gears, or again by varying the relativedisplacement of intermediate gears with respect to each other,l whichgears are mounted on one or a plurality of intermediate shafts and areadapted to roll August 29, 1939, Serial No. 292,508 France September 9,1938 (Cl. i4-125.5)

respectively on the driving gears and the driven gears fixed on thedriving and driven shafts.

The variation of the aforesaid angles of displacement determines in factthe change of the driving arc of the driven or driving gears andconsequently the progressive variation of the speed ratios, owing to thevariable contour of the gears chosen.

When the driving arc of each gear involves an angle smaller than 1L nbeing the number of pairs of driving and driven gears, it is necessaryto iix on the driving or driven shafts suitably balanced iiywheels inorder to retain the constant mean value of the speed ratio rin spite ofthe non-continuity of the engagements of each successive gear.

In order to obtain the reverse operation, the speed varying device whichinvention is combined with an epicyclic gear or a differential of anytype.

In order better to show the operation of the speed varying device whichis the object of the invention, the preferred, embodiments have beendescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical longitudinal section of an embodiment of achange speed gear according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along II-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical isometric perspective view intended to showthe method of setting the various gears and also their respectivedriving arcs;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modification of another embodimentaccording to the invention:

Fig. 5 is a s ection along V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical perspective view intended to show thearrangement of the control of the change speed gear and of the directdrive of the embodiment of Fig. 4;

Fig. 'l is a diagrammatical isometric perspective view intended to showthe respective setting of the various gears and arcs;

Fig. 8 is a view of a modification in which the clutch devices arepurely mechanical and of the jaw type;

Fig. 9 is a partial section along IX-IX of their respective drivingFig.8:

Figs. 10 and 11 are transverse and longitudiis the object of the inisometric perspective nal diagrammatical sections of a mechanical clutchdevice controlled by the gears themselves;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal diagrammatical section of a modification ofthe speed varying device which is the object of the invention in whichthe diiferential is formed by means of the gears of the speed varyingdevice.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. the speed varying device which is theobject of the invention essentially comprises driving gears I, 2, 3 and4 fixed through the intermediary of sleeves m1 and mz on a gear shaft Parranged in the axis of the driving shaft by a sliding key. Said gearsengage by means of preferably double-helical teeth with driven gears I',2', I and I', the contours of which are respectively the rolling curvesof each of the contours of the driving gears I, 2, I and I.

'I'he driven gears are loose on the driven shaft R and are adapted to besecured successively to said shaft R by means of correspondingelectromagnetic clutches ei. ez, ea, e4.

In the embodiment described, the contours of the driving and drivengears are identical ellipses which rotate about one of their foci asshown more particularly in Fig. 3 in which the contours of the gearshave been shown diagrammatically with the teeth eliminated for the sakeof clearness of the drawing.

'I'he setting 0f the driving gears on the shaft P has been so chosenthat the drive of the driven shaft R by the driven gears is successivelyobtained, during equal intervals of time and continuously, without anyshock between the movable parts, the successive engagements of thedriven gears with the driven shaft always being effected at instantswhen the angular speed of the driven shaft is the same for a givenchoice of the speed ratio.

For this purpose, the driving and driven gears have been distributed intwo groups which are symmetrical with respect to each other: I-I', 3 3'on the one hand, and 2-2, 4 4' on the other hand. l

The operation of the speed varying device is inthis case as follows:each driven gear, which always remains engaged with the driving gearthat drives it, is secured to the shaft R solely during an interval oftime which corresponds, in the embodiment described, to a quarterrevolution of the driving shaft; outside this interval of time, thedriving gear, which is loose on the shaft R, does not drive said shaft.

When a driven gear, for example the gear I', is secured to the shaft Rby the electromagnet ver, the drive of said gear is eifected along anarc which can be seen in Fig. 3 in which the useful driving area of thevarious gears and in particular that of the gears I and I' has beenshaded, the teeth being assumed to be removed.

'I'he length of the driving arc has been so chosen that the ratio of theangular speeds of the driven and driving shafts does not vary much alongsaid arc.

At the next quarter revolution the gear I' is disengaged whereas thegear 2' belonging to the symmetrical group is secured to the shaft R bythe clutch en. It is this particular position corresponding to thebeginning of the engagement oi' the gear 2 that has been shown in Figs.l

and 3. During this quarter revolution the gears II', I' and l' are looseon the shaft R. This latter shaft is thus successively driven during Mand secured to same t between angles. The engagement of the variousgears is effected in the suitable order by means of an electric controlshown in Fig. 1.

In particular, the engagement of the gear 2' is eilected by theelectromagnet e: which, when energized, brings into the position ofadherence, by compressing the spring 5, its armature l which is formedby a plate secured to the gear 2"by means of a polygonal coupling. Theenergizing circuit of the 'electromagnet ez is the following:electromagnet en. conducting ring 1, brush fz, conductor 8, brush b:(shown in Fig. 2), conducting segment 8 of the commutator C, brush d,conductor Il, dynamo D, conductor II and return through the frame.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the order of sequence of the energizations ofthe electromagnets e1, e2, ea, e4 is controlled by the connection ofsaid electromagnets to the brushes b1, bz, be, b4 which are set at 90and under ,which passes the segment 9 whereof the length is made equalto a quarter circumference.

It should be noted that the cores of the electromagnets which operate alarge number of times per second are preferably made of laminated iron.

It should also be ynoted that the wear of the plates l is very smallsince when they come into contact -with the electromagnets, the twomovable parts rotate at the same speed.

Theoperation is very quick, since the air gap the armature andthe polepieces is very reduced. e

Finally, no shock can occur of the gears at the instant is disengagedand the gear between the teeth when the gear I' equal at this sameinstant.

the four quarters of a revolution by thel gears I', 2', l and l' alongdriving arcs involving equal In order to obtain the control of the speedvarying device which is the object of the invention, the applicantchanges the driving arc, thereby causing, owing to the variable contourof the gears, the change of the mean speed ratio taken along said arc.

The change of the driving arc is obtainedfor all the gears by varyingthe angle of displacement a oi' the two symmetrical groups of drivggozr) driven gears relatively to each other (see For this purpose,'in theembodiment described, it is possible to effect, by means of a changespeed lever L, the longitudinal movement of the gear shaft P. Said shaftP is provided with oppositely directed helical keysh1 and hz whichcooperate with helical grooves cut internally in the walls of thesleeves m1 and mz to which the groups oi' gears I'3 and' 2-4 arerespectively secured.

It will thus be understood that the movement of the shaft P in itsbearings causes the groups of gears I-i and 2-4 to rotate in oppositedirections and through an appropriate angle k correspond to positions ofthe which` the middle of said arcs which values both driving arcs inthat,

coincide with the tops of the ellipses forming the` contour of thegears. y

In order to prevent vibrations and deformations of the shafts, the gearshave been suitably balanced by means of counterweights I2.

It would be possible to eliminate the groups of gears 3-`3' and 4-4'byeffecting the drive,\ during the two correspond-ng quarter revolutions,by means of fiywheelsV respectively fixed on the driving and drivenshafts.

In order to obtain reverse operation, the device shown in Fig. 1 may becombined with an appropriate epicyclic gear train.

lIn order to compensate for the periodical variation of speed of thedriven shaft, which variation is due to the fact tha-t the ratio of thespeeds is not absolutely constant along a driving arc, the applicant hasimagineda modification in which intermediate gears carried by anauxiliary shaft and respectively adapted to engage with the driving anddriven gears, make absolutely constant, owing to the appropriate shapeof their contour, the ratio between the angular speeds of the drivingand driven gears on which they roll; the value of said ratio is moreoverproportional to the angle between the settings of said intermediategears.

The applicant has found that the contour of the driving and driven gearswhich fulfils the condition of making the speed ratio constant, must beformed by spiral arcs defined by the constancy of the product oftheirvector .radius by their polar angle.

The contours of the intermediate gears are the rolling curves of thecontours of the driving and driven gears.

If the leading arcs of the gears have necessarily to be spiral arcs, thesame is not the case for the return arcs which may theoretically haveany contour: however, in the embodiment described in Fig. 4, the returnarcs andthe leading arcs are formed by arcs ofthe same family ofvspirals in order to facilitate manufacture.

In the embodiment described in Fig. 4, there is only one driving gear a1keyed on the driving shaft M; this single gear respectively drives twodriven gears a4 and a4 on the one hand by means of intermediate gears a:and as which are respectively secured, by means of sleeves in and is,

to an intermediate shaft I, and on the other hand yby means ofintermediate gears a'z and a'a which are secured by means of sleeves i'zand i'a to a second intermediate shaft I'.

The useful driving areas of the gears have been shown shaded in theisometric perspective view in Fig. '1. In order to facilitate reading,the teeth have been removed.

In the embodiment described in Fig. 4., the gears a4 and a'4 slide withrunning friction on a hollow shaft I3 secured to the ring of theepicyclic gear train V co-operating with the speed varying device whichis the object of the invention.

The contours of the gears a1, a4, a'4 on the one hand, andan, as, a's onthe other hand are preferably identical and are so chosen that the gearscan roll on each other and remain in constant engagement by means oftheir teeth.` Furthermore, said contours have been so calculated alongthe same driving arc taken on the leading arcs a4, 54. v4, a4. '4, -y'4Aof the driven gears (see Fig. 7) the ratio between the angularvelocities of the gear a1 on the one hand and lthe driven gears (r4-ora'4 on the other hand-is absolutely constant. It ensues that thesuccessive securing of the driven gears a4 and a'i to the sleeve I3, ateach half-revolution of the driving shaft, causes thecontinuous drive ofthe driven shaft R. through the intermediary of the epicyclic gear trainV; there is no longer that periodical 'variation of speed that wasobtained in the first embodiment described.

Fig. 'I shows the gears in aposition inwhich the gear a4 has justcompleted its period of drive of the driving shaft whereas the gear a4has just been secured by its corresponding electromagnet Il to thehollow shaft I3. The shaded surfaces show that to a driving arc v1,,n.taken on the gear ai and involving a semi-circumference, therecorrespond for an angle of set between the intermediate gears, a drivingarc 114,1, on the gear a4 and a driving arc '4, ,H4 on the gear d'4,which arcs involve angles which differ from a semi-circumference.

The energizing circuit of the electromagnet I4 is as follows:electromagnet Il, conducting ring t5 kof the electromagnet, brush I6,conductor Il, brush I8, conducting segment I9 covering asemicircumference of the commutator C, brush 2li, conductor 2|, dynamoD, conductor 22 and return through the frame.

The electromagnet 23 of the gear a'4 is actuated in the same mannerevery half-revolution by its own energizing circuit: electromagnet 23,conducting ring 24, brush 25, conductor 26, brush 21, segment I9 of thecommutator C, brush 20, conductor 2|, dynamo D, conductor 22 and returnthrough the frame.

The control of the changespeed gear is effected by means of a lever Lwhich co-operates with an appropriate system of rods showndiagrammatically and in perspective in Fig. 6.

Said system of rods comprises two elements 28 and 29 which are pivotedat 30 and 3l to connecting rods 32 and 33 which respectively cause topivot about their axes on the vone hand a stirrup 34 controlling atoothed clutch 31 and on the other hand two stirrups 35 and 36respectively controlling the longitudinal movement of the shafts I and Iin their sleeves i'a-ia and iz-is. V

The shafts I and I are provided with straight splines 7'2--4'2 and. withhelical splines 9'3-i'3- Said splines are adapted to engage withcorrespending grooves cut in the walls of the sleeves iz-a and i'2-i'3,Consequently the longitudinal movement of the shafts I and I' causes thegears aa and as to rotate relatively to each other, in the samedirection and through the same angle e, relatively to the gears a2 anda'z respectively.

When the lever L is rotated in the direction of the. arrow F from theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 6 and corresponding to the position(in dotted lines in Fig. '7) of the driven gears A from the maximumspeed equalto the sp1-ed of the shaft M to zero speed at the neutralpoint Pm, then to increasing speeds in the opposite direction by theaction of the epicyclic gear train V. c

By moving the lever L in the opposite direction to the arrow F, directdrive is obtained by securing. by means of the toothed clutch 3'I, thehollow shaft I3 which is integral with the ring gear of the epicyclicgear train V to the shaft M, which is itself secured to the planet gearsupport of the differential.

As seen in Fig. 6, appropriate springs 33 and 33, which bear, on the onehand on shoulders Il and 4i of the frame, and on the other hand onplates 42 and 43 fixed to the ends of the rods 23 and 23, respectivelyeffect the return to the direct drive position of the clutch 31 on theone hand and of the shafts I and I on the other hand.

Auxiliary plates A44 and Il, secured to the rods 13 and 23, limit thisreturn movement.

'I'he purpose of such an arrangement is on the one hand to disengage theclutch 31 when.

the lever L is rotated in the direction of the arrow l", that is to saywhen it is desired to vary the speed progressively in one direction orin the other, and on the other hand to maintain the ratio between thespeed equal to I when the lever L is moved in the opposite direction tothe arrow F, that is to say when it is desired to change to directdrive.

'I'he applicant has also provided, in the embodiment more particularlyshown in Figs. 4 and 6, a resilient drive for the shafts I and I' bymeans of Belleville washers Il and 41 so as to enable the splines of theshafts I and I to-en Sage with the sleeves secured tothe intermediatelgears, solely during the interval of time when said gears are loose onthe hollow shaft I3.

By the action of the lever L, the shafts I and I can in fact onlydisplace the gears a: and a'; successively throughthe angle e, since ateach half revolution only one driven gear rotates freely on the shaftI3.

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4, 5,6 and '7.

In this modification, the single driven gear A1 is secured to the crownwheel of the epicyclic gear train V. n said gear roll intermediate gearsA: and and Az respectively connected, by means of correspondingintermediate shafts I and I', to intermediate gears A; and Aa which rollon the driving gears A4 and A4.

The driving gears A4 and A4 are secured to the driving shaft every halfrevolution by a clutch which may be electromagnetic, as in thepreviously described embodiments or purely mechanical as shown in Figs.9 and 9.

Such a mechanical clutch could also be applied to the aforesaid speedvarying devices.

Said clutch is essentially characterized by jaws which are provided withbrake linings and the moving apart of which is effected by means of anappropriate spring and causes the driving shaft to be secured to thecorresponding driven gear.

In particular, if reference is had to Figs. 8 and 9 and if theclutchdevice for the gear A4 is examined, it will be seen that saidclutch is actuated by a grooved sleeve IB which is secured to the shaftI by a sliding key. The rotation of 48 about its axis imparts, throughthe intermediary of connecting rods 49 and 50, a reciprocating' movementto a grooved sleeve 5I which slides on splines of the driving shaft M.

The movement of the sleeve l causes, through the intermediary of the arm52 and of the connecting rod 53, the gear il to rotate alternately inone direction and in the other about its shaft to the shaft I3 in aninterval Il, causing the Jaws Il and Il which pivot about the shaft I3to move successively towards each other and apart; the shafts II and Ilare secured to a plate I3 which Is keyed on the driving shaft.

Fig. 9 shows the gear I4 at the instant when it compresses the spring Iland moves the laws 53 and l1 towards each other. The spring Il. bycausing the Jaws 53 and 51 to move apart, causes the plate Il andconsequently the driving shaft M to be secured to the driven gear A; bymeans of the brake lining Si which makes the Jaws adhere to acylindrical female boss 32 provided on the lateral face of the gear A4.

The arrangement of the device is such that the period of rocking of thegear 5l about its axis corresponds toan opening of the jaws for eachhalf revolution of the gear A1.

In another modincation, the securing of the driven gears to the drivenshaft can beeffected by the gears themselves without making use of themovements of the shaft carrying the driving gears. It will in fact berealized (see Fig. 7) that if the angle of setting e is always in thesame direction, the gear a4 must be secured to the shaft I3 in aninterval inside the driving arc ,M p4 74. the point x4 and itshomologous point A; being deilned by the fact that they come intoregister at the instant when the points ai and ma coincide. Similarly a4must be secured inside the driving arc. 's '4 7'4, )V4 being definedlike M. The above conditions can be fulfilled in the following manner:

The gear u is released from the shaft I3 at the instant when a point 4,which is chosen inside the leading arc a4 p4 'y'i and preferablyadjacent v4, comes into registerwith its homologous point a of the geara: by means of a lever 63 which is secured to a tumbler 3l (see Fig 10)which controls the distance between the jaws 58 and 51 as in theembodiment of Fig. 9 and which is adapted to abut against afixed boss 65provided with an element 33 adapted to be retracted inwardly and tocompress resilient members 31 by the action of a boss 33, provided onthe gear a'4, through the intermediary of a roller I! secured to saidelement 33.

'I'he boss 33 is arranged on the gear a4 at such a spot that theretraction of the element 66 preferably occln's at the instant whichcorresponds on the gear a4 to the point 4 of the gear a4, comes intoregister with its homologous point 5': of the gear a's. At this instant.the gear a4 is secured to the shaft i3 whereas the gear a4 is liberatedfrom the shaft I3 by means of .members which are similar to the previousones (visible in Fig. 11) and comprise: a lever 'Il secured to a tumblerilxed to the gear a'4; a iixed boss 'Il having a movable elementprovided with a roller 13 similar to the roller 69; a boss 'I3 carriedby the scar a4.

By means of such an arrangement the applicant obtains the successivedrive of the driven shaft by each of the driven gears by directly orindirectly effecting the locking of one of them to the driven shaft bymoving the other gear to a position which is fixed relatively to theplane of the shafts and which is suitably chosen beforehand, saidposition being also that in which this latter gear lbecomes free on theshaft that carries it.

It would also be possible to provide for the release of one gear by thelocking of the other.

In Fig. 12 a diagrammatical view has been when the point 4,.

during which thc ample of the between fairly narrow combined epicyclicgear trains with shown of a further modification inwhich the epicyclicgear train is obtained with the intermediate gears which act as planetgears respectively rolling on the driving and driven gears.

The intermediate shafts the shaft M secured to the planet wheel carrier.

The driving gears A4 and A'4 are secured to' hollow shafts which can belocked every half revolution by means of tromagnets 14 and 15. Thesingle driven gear A1 is directly keyed on the driven shaft R..

It is of course understood that the embodiments described are onlygiven' by way ofy examples, it being possible to make variousmodifications, changes and additions therein without thereby alteringthe general system of the invention.

I-I are driven by corresponding'fixed eleci Thus in particular the gearsused may have very varied variable contours optionally of unequallength: it suffices for the contours of the driven gears to be rollingcurves of the driving gears.

It would be possible, for example, to me articulated devices such as ahinged quadrilateral whereof one of thefsides is fixed and acts as aframe.

In order to -palliate the slight periodical variation of speed of thedriven shaft along a driving arc, flexible joints of a known type may be'I 'he fixing of suitably balanced and arranged flywheels on the drivingand driven shafts contributes to increase This smoothness may be furtherincreased by setting the gears in such a manner that periods oftransmission of power coincide with the periods driving torque is at amaximum.

When it is desired to have an absolutely constant speed ratio along adriving arc, it is necessary to provide the driving and driven gearswith contours whereof the usef arcs are formed by arcs of a curve ofwhich he reciprocal' of the vector radius is a linear function of thepolar angle.

`'I'lie return arcs may be of arbitrary shape. The contours of theintermediate gears are in the smoothness of operation. i

this case rolling curves of the contours oi' the driven and drivinggears.

It is also possible to provide a plurality of leading arcs on the v samegear so as to decrease the number of gears. It is advantageous to useonly one or two pairs of gears when the speed varying dence which is theobject cf thc invention Ais mounted on a bicycle or a motorcycle.

The clutch devices lfor the driven or driving gears may be of veryvariedtypes and for exelectromagnetic, hydraulic or mechanicaltype.

In. particular.l they may be formed by free wheels, lbut in this case itis often necessary to increase the speed of rotation of the drivinggears, owing to the fact that the free lwheels only lock on conditionthat their outer cage is driven faster than their inner the shaft to bedriven.

It would also be\ possible to use cone "or disc clutch devices of ausual type.

Since the various embodimentsof the change speed gear whichis the obiectof theinvention provide 'in general a speed ratio which varies limits.the applicant has preferably the various embodiments, thereby enablingthe flexibility of the speed varying device to be increased and extendedup to the change. of direction of this speed. Said epicyclic gear trainsmay be composed of a variable number of wheels. It lis also possible toform the eplcyclic gear trains bfy means of the gears themselves. 1

The speed varying device which is the object of the invention may againco-operate, by means of appropriate driving devices, with a governorwhich is 'controlled either by the speed of the engine of the vehicle onwhich the speed varying device is moun or by the suction of thecarburettori of the engine of said vehicle. It is thus possible toobtain a progressive and automatic change speed gear whereof the controlis effected at every instant proportionally to the speed of thevehicle'on which it is mounted.

It is possible in this case to eliminate completely the change speedlever and the clutch release device.

Finally, it is possible to give the setting of the various gearsappropriate angles of advance or retardation for taking intoaccount. theinertia of the various mechanical parts and also of theelectromagneticclutch devices whichy may optionallybe used.

What I claim. is: f

1. In a variable speed device with progressive action at least onedriving non-circular gear secured to a driving shaft, a driven gearsmounted upon said driven shaft and entrained by said driving gear,auxiliary shafts located in planes parallel to said driving shaft, anintermediate non-circular gear mounted upon one of said auxiliary shaftsand constantly in mesh with said driving gear, an intermediatenon-circular gear mounted upon one oi' said auxiliary shafts andconstantly in mesh with said driven gear, the intermediate gears mountedupon an auxiliary shaft forming between them an angle whose variationsecures a change of speed of the driven shaft, means controlling thevariation of said angle, means for clutching the driven gearssuccessively with the vshaft carrying them the conducting arcs of saiddriving and driven gears being formed by spiral arcs defined by iminvariable product of their vector radius by their polar angle wherebythere is obtained along the entire are of engagement of a predete lengthan absolutely constant relationship between the angular speeds of thedriving and drivengears for any angle between the intermediategears,'the said relationship varying with variations of said angle.

2. In a variable speed device as set forth in claim l an elastic controlfor changing the speed designed to control the unclutching of saidintermediate gearsduring any portion of .a revolution.

yLEON BESCHKINE.

shaft in align- A ment with said driving shaft, non-circular driven 3.In a variable speed device as set forth in

